Family Matters
by DarkandtwistyGirl
Summary: Unbeknown to Wallace, and the rest of Neptune, Jackie already has a child, what will happen when she gets pregnant on alterna-prom night? *Complete*


_**Disclaimer: I own nothing that has anything to do with Veronica Mars or the characters, unless you count the DVDs. This is just for fun.**_

_**New fic, just a one-shot**_

_**Enjoy  
**_

* * *

Jackie sat on the edge of the spa in her bathroom, tears rolling down her face, a positive pregnancy test in her hands.

**

* * *

Five weeks earlier**

Veronica was walking towards her locker, and subsequently Wallace and Jackie, who were pressed up against an adjacent locker, cuddling and giggling. She pushed them out of her way lightly. "Please? Get a room. In Australia."

"Hey, we're practicing for the prom." Wallace said with feigned indignation.

"What debutante bit you and turned you into a prom zombie?" Veronica asked jokingly.

By way of an answer, Jackie waved at Veronica and laughed lightly.

"We just gave in; the whole nine yards, the ridiculous dress, the tux, lobster dinner, limo. I mean it happens once. Why not go all out?" Jackie told her, clinging off her boyfriend.

Just then Mac approached Veronica from behind, she had heard what Jackie had just said. "Because no one sold you as an indentured servant to Butters."

Wallace laughed, while Veronica tried to explain things to her friend. "Mac, I didn't think he'd actually-"

Mac cut her off. "He's picking me up in a Hummer limousine. We're having dinner on a replica pirate ship and I suspect he's hired a zeppelin for the ride home. I'm gonna fill my pockets with rocks, get a good grip on your ankle and I'm gonna jump off the top of a mountain."

Before Veronica could reply, the PA system sent Clemmons voice through the halls. "Attention students. Due to a significant number of alcohol violations on the senior trip, this year's prom has been cancelled."

"What!?" Wallace exclaimed in surprise.

Instantly the hallways erupted with the sound of students grumbling and protesting.

"That is all." Clemmons finished.

Mac on the other hand was ecstatic and pumped her fist. "Yes! Prayer works!"

* * *

The next day Logan is approached Veronica in the hallway of Neptune High, they talked for several minutes before Logan said. "So, we should savour our remaining moments. You should come to alterna-prom."

"I don't know what that is."

Logan pulled out a folded card, and held it up for Veronica, Veronica took it. The front of the card had a symbol of the word PROM with red circle around it and a red line diagonally across the circle, and inside it read. Alterna-Prom, Friday, May 13th, 9:00pm. Neptune Grand Penthouse. Formal Attire. No Rules.

* * *

Later that day, after school Jackie went to see her father in the hospital, Keith was there talking to him when she arrived, though he and Terrance abruptly stopped as she entered carrying a vase of flowers and some magazines.

Keith made polite conversation for a minute before leaving the pair alone.

* * *

Once they were alone, Jackie sat down on the side of her father's bed. "So how've you been? You seem happy, I thought you were upset about your prom being cancelled."

"I was, but some of the kids are having a kind of replacement prom, Wallace and me are going, we're doing the whole thing; the dinner, the limo...oh, we got his tux, which he's warning me is some kind of insanely masculine mesmeriser of women."  
"Just better be careful, Jackie." In retrospect in times to come Jackie would wish that she had listened to her father's advice.

...But she didn't. "Relax, Dad." She then stood up to refill her father's water glass, as she reminded her father of her young son living in Brooklyn with her mother. "I learned the birds and the bees the hard way, remember?"

* * *

Wallace and Jackie very much enjoyed their prom night, they had gone all the way, but neither of them saw what came next.

**

* * *

Present time**

As Jackie sat there, staring at the pregnancy test, she was numb, she couldn't even begin to contemplate the effect this would have. She was shaking, sobbing uncontrollably, this wasn't meant to happen. She had come to Neptune to start over and now history was repeating itself. What was she going to do?

Would she keep the baby?

Maybe...

Would she have an abortion?

No, she couldn't bring herself to do that.

Would she give the baby away?

Maybe, but the idea of her child being raised by strangers made her uncomfortable.

And if she kept the baby, and it was still a big if, what about Wallace? How would he take the news? Would he be ready?

And Zachary, her two year old son, would she get him to live with her? Or maybe this child too be left with relatives to be raised?

It was a complete and utter mess, and in her mind it was all her fault, another screw up by Jackie Cook.

Jackie lost time, but she must have been there a long time as it had been early in the morning when she had picked up the test from the chemist, she had planned to take it then go to school, but now Wallace was knocking on the front door, she looked down at her watch as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It was three-thirty.

Jackie looked around the bathroom, the packaging from the test kit lay strewn, along with half a box of tissues. Wallace was still knocking on the door, calling out for her to open the door. If he saw this, he would know in an instant.

Jackie had decided that she was keeping the baby, so she might as well tell Wallace now, and so she stuffed the pregnancy test in the back pocket of her jeans.

She then shakily stood up and moved towards the door, as she did so, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, her face was red.

As soon as she opened the front door, Wallace's expression told her just how bad she looked. "Damn, Jac. You okay? You look like shit."

She stepped aside to let him in. "Come in, Wallace."

Wallace followed her silently into the house, through to the lounge room. Jackie sat down on the couch, and Wallace sat beside her, she turned to face her boyfriend and gently took hold of his hands.

"Jackie? You alright?" Wallace asked, concerned by Jackie's unusual behaviour.

Jackie took a uneasy breath, before she said. "You know I love you, right?"

"...Yeah, sure, I know. What's going on?"

Jackie released Wallace's left hand, and reached for the test. She brought it into Wallace's sight as she said. "I took it this morning. I'm pregnant."

"Is that... Did you just say..."

Jackie nodded in confirmation, watching sadly as Wallace face dropped.

"Whoa, oh, oh wow." But as the initial shock wore off, Wallace broke into a wide grin. "We're gonna have a baby. Wow."

Caught by surprise, Jackie was lifted off her feet as Wallace swept her into an enthusiastic hug. As Wallace gently released her, she asked him. "So you want to do this? You sure? You don't know what it's like having a new baby, it's not so easy."

This statement seemed strange to Wallace, surely Jackie knew no more about the trials of parenthood than he did, probably less as at least he had a little brother. "Yeah I'm sure. You okay, Jac? What'd you mean by that?"

"Oh, oh it's nothing. Forget I said anything." Jackie tried to backpedal, but Wallace could tell that there was something there.

"Jac? We're together, we're having a baby, you can tell me anything, you know that right?"

Jackie took a shaky breath as she led Wallace over to the couch. Once she sat facing Wallace, his hands clasped in hers, she told him. "I have a son, Wallace. He's two, his name's Zac. He lives with my mom in Brooklyn."

"What?" Wallace murmured in shock. There should be a limit on how much life changing news you can hear in one day.

"My mom's not a model, she doesn't live on the Upper-West side. She's just a waitress from Brooklyn that my dad got pregnant. I got mixed up in the wrong crowd, when I had Zac, Mom called Dad and asked him to take me so I could straighten my life out. I'm so sorry, Wallace."

"It's okay."

"Really?" Jackie couldn't hide her surprise.

"For real. You wanted a fresh start, I get that."

"Are we okay?"

"I think so."

* * *

Jackie gave birth eight and a half months later, to a baby girl, Nicole.

Young Zac, on Jackie's request came to Neptune to live with her, Wallace and the baby.

Wallace and Jackie went on to get married, have two more children, Peter and Benjamin, and graduate from Hearst College. They stayed in Neptune, until they grew old.

* * *

**_The end_**


End file.
